Alyson Walsh Editor That’s Not My Age

1. How important is it for you to have an organised wardrobe or dressing room?

Taking control of an unruly wardrobe equals a more refined personal style, a clear vision of what to wear and less faffing around in the morning. Being organised also helps to eliminate last minute panic buying and ensures that any new items purchased will add mileage to your existing clothes.

2. What is your organising style?

In order to refresh, refine and stay current I treat my wardrobe like a celebrity treats his/her Wikipedia page and give it a constant edit. In addition, I use storage boxes and divide my wardrobe into sections in an attempt to keep things orderly.

3. Which fashion brand do you keep going back to and why?

Margaret Howell is the dream and Arket is the reality! Margaret Howell knows how to dress the elegant tomboy beautifully, and I love her pared-down, masculine-meets-feminine aesthetic (I usually shop in the sample sale). Arket is the Swedish temple of cool minimalism and where I head to on the High Street.

4. Which possessions do you love to have around you?

I’m a globe obsessive and have been collecting vintage orbs for years – from French Flea markets to Sicilian second-hand shops. They’re displayed in an antique medicine cabinet in the living room, and I have 60 (maybe more!) it’s getting a bit out of control…

5. Can you find things easily in your wardrobe?

Quite easily. I’m having a new wardrobe fitted soon and I’m excited about that – with more space and compartments – I can’t wait to get organised.

6. Which treasured item of clothing will you never get rid of?

The Once in a Lifetime Tuxedo Jacket, I bought from Céline in Paris. It was the most I’ve ever spent on an item of clothing and I wore it for the launch of my first book Style Forever. Another treasured item is a pendant necklace with the letter ‘A’ on it, a present from Mr That’s Not My Age.

7. Do you collect a particular type of clothing or accessory?

I love jumpsuits – they’ve become my signature piece. Once you start, you can’t stop.

8. Do you declutter your clothes regularly – as presumably you are constantly acquiring more?

Having a thorough declutter is such a good feeling, both cathartic and freeing. I recommend having a bi-annual cull. Ask yourself does it make you feel good? Does it still suit/fit you? Do you love it? If the answer is no it needs to go! The more clothes you have the harder you’ll find it to get dressed and make outfits – ironic but true.

9. What inspired you to start the website That’s Not My Age?

I founded That’s Not My Age because I felt there was a gap online for women of my age and beyond. I’d been working as a fashion editor on a magazine – where I’d been writing all those prescriptive style rules, and I just I wanted to talk to people the way my friends and I talk about clothes, sharing experience and practical advice, in a down-to-earth way.

10. Do you have any organising tips for clothes and accessories you can share?

I always advocate packing up the items you aren’t wearing, so summer clothes can be packed away and replaced by winter items. Use vacuum packs to release space (and throw in some moth repellent sachets while you’re at it!).

11. Can a fashionista ever adopt a “less is more” ethos?

Yes, definitely. I practice the “one-in-one-out” rule and I’m continually assessing and refining my wardrobe – not in an obsessive, expensive way, or for Instagram, just to keep in tune with what’s going on.

Alyson Walsh is the author of Know Your Style, published by Hardie Grant, £12.99. As a freelance journalist she writes for the FT, Saga magazine and The Pool – and blogs as That’s Not My Age